Faded Harmony

The Winery's Ghost

A splash near the waterfall that wasn't due to the waterfall had her on her feet faster than she imagined. Looking through the water, she saw the orange-haired man from back then, shaking his head as water droplets fell off him. His name was Childe, if she remembered correctly.

"Are you the one who's been terrorizing the hunters?"

He smiled, his mask glistening in the sunlight. "I wouldn't go that far, I was just having a bit of fun." His eyes landed on the tree, as his smile changed to a smirk, and Lyra followed his gaze to see a hunter hiding in the tree, wondering what exactly he had done to set them all on edge. "Besides, I'll be heading to Liyue after this. You won't be seeing me around."

"Is there a reason you're shifting nations?"

"Our business in Mondstadt is done. Well, at least for now." He considered her. "Are you from Liyue?"

Lyra blinked. "Yes?"

"Have you heard of a Sigil of Permission?" he tilted his head, but something said he was studying her for any reactions she might have.

"Yes, but I'm afraid you won't find any. They have long since disappeared."

He nodded. "We've been experimenting with them and one of our Fatui accidentally released another god from the seal with it. Of course, that was a mistake, but it's nice to know what we can do with the sigil." His eyes wandered back to her. "If you know who that god might be, let me know."

"Sure," said Lyra, deciding she would take this secret with her to the grave.

Childe waved a hand in farewell as he headed down the path, stopping to pluck some Calla Lilies. The hunter finally stepped down from the tree and headed back to Springvale, as Lyra began her trek back to the city, humming under her breath. It was near nightfall when she reached the bridge, and she had a vague feeling that she was being watched, and the night in prison had told her not to ignore that feeling.

Looking around, she caught sight of a ghost—the red-haired one, whose name she had never gotten.

"Sir Ghost," she said politely as he gestured to her. She followed him to the Statue of the Seven, and waited until he spoke, her eyes on Nocturna's grave, which had no flowers today.

"I told you I didn't know my name."

"And that was a lie," said Lyra, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

"I'm Crepus." His smile was a mirror of Diluc's rare one.

"Diluc and Kaeya's father." His expression softened when she said 'Kaeya,' as if it were a fact that Kaeya was his own, that he had loved him ever since he had met him, despite the fact he was adopted. "Why are you a ghost? Do you need some help?"

Crepus tilted his head, the edges of him blurring for a second. "Do you know someone who would?"

"I know a god who would," said Lyra, wondering if Morax really would, or if she were simply assuming he would. Morax might be awfully dense, but he was kind.

"There's no need. There was simply something I wanted to say. Would you be so kind as to give Diluc a message from me?" He handed her a paper, and Lyra wondered whether she could actually hold it, but the paper turned solid when she touched it. Knowing it would be rude to read a message meant for someone else, she nodded and pocketed it.

"Thank you."

Lyra didn't see him disappear, but a pair of Lamp Grass appeared on Nocturna's grave.

She headed back to Mondstadt, the paper weighing more than it should in her pocket. Knight Swan greeted her, and Kaeya leaned against the wall, playing with a coin. "I was worried when you didn't come back."

"You're the one who sent me there in the first place," she said drily as they walked in. "It was Fatui Harbinger Childe. He said he was just having fun and would be heading to Liyue so..."

"So there's nothing to worry about," Kaeya finished.

Lyra nodded as they reached her doorstep. A vague feeling of surprise caught up to her when she realized he had dropped her home.

"Kaeya!" she called. He turned back, the light from the lantern seeming rather eerie as it fell on his face. "If you see Diluc, could you tell him I wanted to see him?'

Lyra missed the smirk on his face as a cat ran past her. "Sure." He raised a hand in farewell as he stalked down the street.

Lyra closed the door behind her, wondering if she could make some Apple Cider the way Diluc did, when a frantic knocking broke her out of her thoughts. Diluc stood past the door, his face glistening as if he had run there without a second thought. "Kaeya said you were in trouble..." he trailed off as Lyra blinked. "That guy..."

Lyra laughed as she stepped aside, letting him in. "Thanks for running all this way."

He walked in and sat on the chair, leaning back. Lyra threw a water bottle at him, and he caught it without even glancing up.

"So, why did you want to see me?" he asked, gulping down the water and tossing the bottle back to her.

Lyra caught it and left it on the desk, before pulling the letter out of her pocket. "Someone asked me to give this to you."

She watched his eyes widen as he opened it and traced his fingers over the letters. "This is father's handwriting."

Lyra shrugged at his bewildered expression. "I met a ghost."

She fell silent as he read through the letter, and watched as his expression changed in the most subtlest of ways. A raised eyebrow, a tightened lip. He closed his eyes and handed it to her, and Lyra took that as permission to read it. It was nothing more than two lines, but she supposed it would have been a punch to the gut.

I'm sorry you were forced to kill me, Diluc. And to both you and Kaeya, I am proud to call you my sons. — Crepus Ragnvindr.

Lyra skipped over his last name, having no idea how to pronounce it. She placed a hand on Diluc's hair but he shook his head. "I'm alright."

Lyra raised an eyebrow, and was about to tell him she was sure he wasn't fine, when Kaeya walked in as if someone had called him. Something in his expression changed when he looked at Diluc, who had hardened his expression as soon as he had heard Kaeya's footsteps.

"What happened?"

Lyra handed him the letter wordlessly, and Kaeya glanced over it, his expression hardening—perhaps at his father's handwriting—and he pulled Diluc up. Diluc tsked under his breath, but didn't protest further.

"We're heading for a drink."

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